
The Dead Sea: how low can you go?The Dead Sea situated in eastern Israel is a unique location. At 400 meters (1,320 feet) below sea level it is the lowest place on earth. The Dead Sea is located in the Judean Desert area, a part of the Syrian - East Africa Rift Valley, flanked by the Judean mountains to the west and the Moab mountains to the east. This region enjoys sunny and dry weather through out the year. On average it has 330 full days of sunshine per year. The low altitude also has other benefits as the ultraviolet rays are filtered through three natural layers: an extra atmospheric layer, an evaporation layer that exists above The Dead Sea, and a rather thick ozone layer. Yet because the powerful sunshine it is recommended to sunbathe carefully. The Dead Sea is names so because the water, due to extensive evaporation, is extremely high in salts and mineral, and unsuitable for fish to live in. The Dead Sea is Called "Yam Hamelach" or Sea of salt in Hebrew. The high salinity of the water allows you to float upon them with no effort. Why swim when you can float?

HistoryKing David, King Herod, Jesus, and John the Baptist were closely linked with The Dead Sea area. The infamous towns of Sodom and Gomorra were situated here. During the Egyptian conquest it is said that Queen Cleopatra obtained exclusive rights to build cosmetic and pharmaceutical factories in the area. The Nabateans, a desert people, sold bitumen extracted from The Dead Sea to the Egyptians for embalming their mummies. In Roman times, on the heights of Massada, a small group of rebellious Jewish zealots held out against the might of the Roman Legion until their fall. This region also attracted Greek Orthodox monks since the Byzantine era who found it a perfect place for serene meditation. Their monasteries such as Saint George in Wadi Kelt and Mar Saba in the Judean Desert are beautiful and well worth a visit. Bedouin tribes been living in this area for time uncounted and still maintain a distinct lifestyle. Although away from the physical location of The Dead Sea and now part of the library of congress in New York, the famous Dead Sea scrolls, believed to be dated from the third century B.C.E. are also a part of the history of the area. The scrolls are a body of documents describing the rich activity during that period of the second Jewish temple, and invoke intense public interest and some controversy.

SpaThe beneficial and medicinal properties of The Dead Sea water and mud have been known for centuries. These have been sought after since the days of Mark Anthony and Cleopatra. Today many spas have been built on the shores of The Dead Sea in order to allow people to enjoy the healing properties of the mud and water. As a health spa, The Dead Sea offers patients an opportunity to treat various ailments while enjoying the kind of relaxation that strengthens the treatment. Many visitors return year after year for long-term relief. |